Thaliand - Koh Tao

Quick post, just so people know we've not been locked up in a horrific Thai prison.

We're still in Thailand, on an island called Koh Tao. We've got a great beach, a great bay, great everythings. Pictures and more annoying info to follow; but I've got to go now and watch Portsmouth beat Chelsea possibly 10-0. Blue Army! (still keeping the faith)... here's the odds from Koa Tao...

• 2:1 - Joe cole dives and gets an easy penalty
• 10:1 - John Terry and Frank Lampard stand on each others shoulders and get a headed goal

Oh and great, great news. Due to popular demand, now anyone can post a comment on this site, you don't have to log on. Go on, try it, you might like it. Just say who the heck you are!

The Beach

We've found a really remote beach, untouched by civilisation! And where did we find it? In a Thai Airforce Base! Obviously!


Found Darren's old car-stereo kit
on our bus!?

We left Bangkok the other day I think, and went to 'Hua Hin'. Not a massively touristy place but with more than enough bars to keep us busy, and a lot of beaches with a lot of older people - nothing wrong with old generation backpackers. First night we were there we strolled into a pub simply because they were playing Groove Armada, and later the DJ moved on to playing old school dance stuff, the likes of which we've not heard for about 15 years!!!! Very good, noisey night, didn't leave til closing at 1am I'm told. (Dave, I got him to play Panic for you, sigh... and Jon - he even had Zero B, Lock up (edit) and the "House Keeeeeeys").


Slumming it in Thailand......
Cheap as chips too. No chips though :(

Next night we went to see proper live Thai Boxing, with real people hitting and kicking each other! Ok, they started off with 10 year old kids, but then it was proper blokes going for it. Quite a good night out, followed by homemade icecream from a deli, yum. Incidentally, we've become addicted to icecream, Sprite/7up and peanuts (well I have). Jodie's just addicted to sprite and vodka!


Penelope Pitstop? heeelp.

We've now moved to Prachuap, on the East coast of Thailand. The main beach doesn't have anyone on it. Think its mainly there for fishing and wotnot. So, with not a lot else going on, we jumped on bikes and went off down the coast to find a more beachy beach.... Turns out one of the better beaches is 'Ao Manao', kind of odd since its "guarded" by the Thai Air Force, which means you have to go through checkpoints and sign in and stuff to go on it. Very cool.


Spooky Stuff. Where is everybody!?

New photo's and video's are up just to keep you guys back in Blighty annoyed. Tee hee.


Don't drink pink drinks either...

Cambodia to Bangkok...Just about!!!

"Oh my god!" What a journey. When we purchased our ticket to Bangkok we liked the look of the coach with its' air conditioning and luxurious seats, little did we know what lay ahead of us!

First of all a taxi minibus picked us up only half hour late instead of an hour, so that was a good sign. We were then taxied to another Hotel where a few other people were hanging about with their backpacks. We were told to get off and to get onto our "coach" to the border. Well when I say "Chicken bus" this is not an understatement. To be honest it looked like the bus was about to fall apart. Our promised Air con was slidey windows and the luxury trip was the massage we got from the hard seats as we thundered over the dirt track, yes dirt track - 6 hours away from the border. Cambodians obviously haven't heard of roads then!

We were then dumped at the Thai border and left to find our next bus to Bangkok. We seriously considered not bothering, but much to our surprise the minibus was so swish I didn't want to get out.

Well we are now in Bangkok and staying on the infamous Khoa San Road. It's quite civilised, I had images of shady bars and go go girls (or are they men?) dancing about and thrusting their wears at us but on the contrary, we are a little disappointed ha ha.

So a day of chilling was on the cards until we met a very helpful young man who told us it was a Buddha holiday and that the temples are free to go into and that we should get a government run tuk tuk, as they are cheaper, and to go exploring. So Darren and I thought what a good idea and we did. Well after being taken to a Tailors, a Jewellers, a Travel agents and yet another Jewellers we eventually got to the temples only to be abandoned by our tuk tuk driver, without even taking money from us - Bizarre!


So we then negotiated with another Tuk Tuk man who told us he would take us to the Grand Palace for 5 Baht if he could take us to another Jewellers! Well by this time Darren and I had this sussed, we would go in the shop do a lap and then walk out again. However this Tuk Tuk driver had another scam up his sleeve, told us he didn't get his petrol ticket 'cause we were to quick in the shop and told us to get out. So once again we were abandoned somewhere in Bangkok and again not having to pay anything! On the bright side we had had a tour of Bangkok all day and didn't pay a penny.


One very confused Jodie?!?

Four hours later, a slush puppy and very achey feet, we found our way back to the Khoa San Road and ordered ourselves a well deserved cold beer. So much for our chilling out day.

Other than the crafty tuk tuk drivers all is well, we have shopped ourselves silly today with fake branded t-shirts and sunnies as we decided our clothes in our bags were in need of burning.

Tomorrow we are off to the beach yippee! I can't wait. Heading for Hua Hin where we can order fresh seafood and cold beers from the luxury of our sun loungers, Alright!!!!

Not sure if they have internet so thought we'd update you all in case we disappeared for a while, we haven't, we're just chillin on a beach somewhere in Thailand.....










Lucky Reclining Buddha

Darren Watt & Angkor Wat

Ok. Jodie Brown was at Angkor Wat also, but that doesn't make such a good headline. Now we're back to pretty much normal we've been able to visit the temples of Angkor, including Angkor Wat.

All very impressive stuff! From the top of my head I can tell you Angkor Wat is the prime example of the classical style of Khmer architecture—the Angkor Wat style—to which it has given its name. By the 12th century Khmer architects had become more skilled and confident than before in the use of sandstone (rather than brick or laterite) as the main building material..... Ok I borrowed all that from Wikipedia, but its all true and useful to know.

Found a decent PC now, so here's a few pictures of what we've seen....


Darren doing some sitting



A tree attacking the ruins



Jodie at the ruins of (cough, cough) er, temple.


The only way to move pigs around


Obligatory sunset picture

I have to post sunset and sunrise pictures because you have to get up very early to get sunrises (up and about at 04:30!!!), and climb over a lot of people to get sunsets.

I have stopped calling everyone at these crowded places "tourists", and now refer to them as "other tourists" in recognition that we ourselves are tourists. Most backpackers reckon they are not, but you have to be fair in these things. My only other observation is that a lot of the other tourists seem to be Korean, and are not very quiet. I'll stop there. Watching everyone trying to get up the temple steps can be quite entertaining as everyone rushes up them at the same time.
Like a real life Takeshi's Castle. We spent the whole 2 days at the temples of Ankgor. We saw most of them in the first, but you need the second to see other bits and what do you know - they only do 1, 3 and 7 day passes.

Those with super-wizzy internets might want to see some videos of some stuff we've seen, here in lovely Cambodia. Seriously, professional travel TV producers have nothing to worry about. Includes: People going up the steps (comedy); Tuk-Tuk Journey (action adventure); Health & Safety Comment (informational); and a lot of Monks (religious docu-drama).

Tomorrow we leave for Thailand, to the city of Bangkok, and if I'm to believe everything I've been told about the place, I need to be very, very careful....

We're back up and running...well not that fast!

Well after our short delay due to dodgy water drinking and making us very, very poorly, we visited the pharmacy and bought antibiotics over the counter, for a mere $1, and have cured our "problems" and we are back on the road again, Yippee!!!

After lying in the same hotel room for 3 days we kinda got sick of Phonm Penh and decided to heard North to Siem Reap, to the famous Angkor Wat. We went "up market" and jumped in a taxi rather than the bus, the favourite backpackers choice of travel, and got to Siem Reap in just 4 hours rather than 7.

However, we promptly checked out of our hotel last night in Siem Reap due to some random stranger walking into our room whilst we were still in it. Needless to say we were rather sketchy on the security there. Found a lovely hotel though with hot water showers yippee, I can now wash my hair without catching my breath!

We have arranged a sunset trip to Angkor tonight and then we'll have 3 full days of adventure and plenty of photos. The technology in Cambodia is as ropey as the water so we'll probably update you all in Bangkok. See you then.

No Real News

Not at the moment. We've postponed our journey currently due to "loo reasons". It's not ideal. Its enough to say we both can't do a 6 hour bus trip right now, but hopefully we will soon!

So - We're still in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. It's still very hot. Yesterday while wandering about I saw:

• some monkeys fighting on overhead phonelines
• a cyclo-driver taking me the wrong way home from the shops
• a moto-driver (using all transport available) taking me in the wrong direction to the post office - Mum, expect a box of our stuff arriving any time in 3 months....
• an entire road of men stripping down car engines and rebuilding them, right there in the road
• four monks on a single moped

I officially win the International I-Spy Championships 2006.


Oh, and if all my geek mates (no need to name names) can download and install Skype, costs nothing, then I can bore you about all our stuff for free, using the power of my voice! Wow!
I'm user 'darrenwatt', obviously.

Vietnam to Cambodia

Where do we begin?????

Well we can start with trying to catch the right bus for the right destination for the right amount of days......

Very early in the morning we eventually got our bags onto the coach, alas we however were not, there was not enough room so we were escorted to a minibus. Sat for 10 mins (after being delayed 40mins already and bearing in mind it was still only 8.30am) we were then told they had "made room" so were then marched back to the main coach, at least we were with our
bags. Phew, all set and ready to head for the Mekong Delta, a two day trip which would eventually end in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Oh my god, we were in Karaoke Hell! As we were on a bus with 35 other Koreans (all family) they decided to get up and sing down the microphone, without music I must add, and then the whole bus would join in....I was not a happy bunny : (

We then transferred onto a day boat which chugged us along the Mekong River. It was very pleasant, and I much preferred the sound of the engine than the dulcet tones of a wannabee pop star. Then another transfer onto a bus for a 4 hour journey to Chau Doc for our overnight stay.

Once again due to Darren's and my good manners we let everyone pile infront to check in, which led to yet again not having room at the hotel. So a little trip took us to their recommended 2nd
hotel, I noted the NO STARS of standard on the wall, and yes the room was, well lets say less than our standards. I know I sound snobby but the geckos and bugs on the walls didn't really make us that comfy!

Another early start, all marched to the water to get into rowing boats. This was actually really good. The Vietnamese ladies are pretty skilled and well balanced as they rowed us in a punting stylee to a floating village and then onto a silk weaving place. Of course I couldn't resist in a purchase and justified it by telling Darren it will match the noodle bowls. Transferred onto yet another boat, but this time with our bags to head for the border. We both now appreciate the ease of airport customs, if you had to encounter the llllooooooonnnnngggg wait we had to walk through a gate you'd feel the same. Eventually were allowed to leave Vietnam and walk across the border (gate with two guards standing there) into Cambodia whoo hoo!

Got onto another boat which took us 5mins down the river where we then had to get off again and go through the Cambodian customs, very odd. It was very funny, the photos say it all. (Soon to be posted). Anyway then boarded the boat again and plodded towards, well not sure really, but after another 4 hours we got off and took a minibus to Phnom Penh.

I say minibus, but it felt more like a fairground ride with the potholes in the road. We are now settled in Phnom Penh and have mooched for a couple of days checking out the place. Cambodia on first impression is like every other town with the chaos of traffic, the many bars and restaurants and people everywhere, however, today Darren and I had a different look into the country, we visited the Toul Sleng Museum.

This was once a high school that was turned into a prison, S-21, where many innocent people died under the Khmer Rouge regime. It was very disturbing to know that horrendous tortures took place in this prison and only 30 years ago to families who did not commit any crime. Rather deep for a Saturday morning, so we lightened the mood by finding Movie Street, the only venue in town where you can choose your own pirated film and watch it in a comfy room. Oh dear, that sounds dodgy but really it is legit, we watched King Kong, and yes it was in English even with sketchy English subtitles which were entertaining in itself.

Well, the photos (Darren says sorry, something about computer being rubbish) will soon follow when we can find a USB point so watch this space.